Here’s P.A.’s opportunity to make a good impression again. Not good news about Tanguay and as far as Stastny goes, not sure it’s good news either; ankles and knees are never good injuries to have.

Matthew Brammer

Tanguay has become way to much of a liability, right up there with Wilson. Dump them both for a couple of solid blueliners.

Mark T

If they’re such liabilities, why would another team give up solid blueliners for them?

Matthew Brammer

Why does anybody give up anybody for anybody else, ever? Lol. A number of factors. Potential, perhaps an environment change is what is needed, past performance, etc. etc. Plus there are financial and draft aspects that could sweeten a deal. Surely you aren’t that naive. Lol. This is a basic concept. Those two are our biggest liabilities right now, and we need dmen. Naturally, this is where a trade deal starts. Next, we look for teams who might want them based on any number of reasons, including but not limited to those stated above. Then we see if there is a team with some defensemen they dont want for any number of reasons, that we see potential in for any number of other reasons. How many times have we seen teams deal based on financial or draft sweeteners? And how many times have we seen someone with potential or past stardom fail one year and flourish the next in a different locale? This is what the trade business is made of.

We have an immediate need for veteran defensemen. Therefore, we can afford to give up some draft picks to sweeten a deal for a team that has too many defensemen or has a need for youth, while dumping our liabilities.

Smell the Glove

Mr. Madison, what you’ve just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.

Mark T

We don’t just need veteran defenseman (Wilson, by the way, counts by now as a veteran defenseman). We need *quality* *top 4* defensemen, and no GM with any sense in the NHL is going to give up a top 4 defenseman for players who are “liabilities” unless they aren’t the main part of the deal. You talk of sweeteners, but to get a top 4 d-man, if all we’re offering otherwise is a “liability” player, the so-called sweetener is actually going to be the primary aspect of the deal.

I think we also need to address what you mean by liability. Do you mean they are prone to injury? If that’s the case then nobody is likely to give up much for them. If you think they’re a liability when on the ice (defensively, I guess?) then at least in Tanguay’s case I would ask you present some evidence because the stats I’ve seen don’t back you up. In Wilson’s case, he hasn’t really played enough games this season for me to have formed a really solid opinion of his abilities (in the past he’s played like everything from a top pair guy to an AHLer).

Matthew Brammer

I agree with your stance on defensemen; that was indeed actually more of what I was getting at, so I apologize there.

Anyway, as far as Wilson is concerned, I feel he’s a liability in multiple ways. Not only is he injury prone, but he’s highly inconsistent, as you pointed out. And this year, he has been very non-productive when he is actually on the ice. I don’t think there’s a question that we could do better and stop wasting time with him.. However, I have seen both issues go away for some players when they’re put in a different environment, with different teammates, different conditioning coaches, etc. I think the promise he’s shown at times, added in with draft picks that we don’t have as much of a need for (as we already have a ton of youth and speed), could provoke a deal for at least a more consistent defenseman, if not slightly better one at that. Especially for a team that has a need for the youth of the draft and has too many defensemen.

If Tanguay’s injury woes continue, he is far too expensive when we have other pressing needs. But he is extremely talented, and another team may be willing to pay for it in spite of the injury woes this season. We have proven we can win without him, and we have plenty of offense….besides the fact that we have other pressing needs. Also….

I do wonder how much Varly’s deal affected the salary cap though, if at all? Haven’t looked into it, but I know before that we had plenty of cap space. We could use some of that to buy out the contract of a couple of good defensemen whose teams got themselves stuck in a pricey contract with a defensemen who is good, and is what we need, but hasn’t lived up to that team’s expectations in relation to the contract…? There’s some food for thought too. *shrug*

butters

how exactly is Tanguay a liability? and Wilson hasn’t played in weeks. Wilson is no more a liability than, oh say, sarich, guenin, holden, benoit, and barrie most of the time. do you wanna dump them as well? do you even watch Avalanche games?

Mark T

One injury would be fine. Too is a shame. Now Parenteau can move back into a top 6 role (probably), but who takes the other forward spot? I’m not a fan of playing 7 defencemen. I think it throws off the pairings too much. I would hope they call somebody up and either play them on the 3rd line or McLeod another shot on the 3rd line.

Colorado Gary

It’ll be good to see PA out there. He was one of the lone bright spots last season. And the Avs still aren’t that deep at wing. PA seems to have fallen a little out of favor recently and I think I know why. He seems to dislike contact. He will skate to the dirty areas but his body language says he doesn’t like it and a lot of times he applies a token shoulder hit to fulfill his obligation to play tough. Kind of reminds me of post- concussed Mueller (sadly).

I hope the Avs don’t give up on PA but we’ve all been talking about shoring up the D and various trade scenarios involving other players so PA certainly isn’t untouchable.

The Tangs tweaking of the knee is most troubling to me. I think he adds a lot to the team and the last time he “tweaked” his knee it seemed to cause more problems than expected. Hope he and Stats come back soon.

Terry Frei graduated from Wheat Ridge High School in the Denver area and has degrees in history and journalism from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He worked for the Rocky Mountain News while attending CU and joined the Post staff after graduation. He has also worked at the Oregonian in Portland, Ore., and The Sporting News. His seventh book, March 1939: Before the Madness, was issued in February 2014.

Chambers covers college and professional hockey for The Denver Post. He has written for the Post since 1994, after dumping his first 9-to-5 office job a couple years out of college. He primarily follows the University of Denver hockey team and helps cover the Avalanche.